
Completely satisfied Easter! Completely satisfied Passover! Completely satisfied weekend! I am Winston Gieseke, philanthropy and particular sections editor for The Desert Solar in Palm Springs, wishing everybody a protected and stress-free vacation. However first, listed below are a few of at present’s headlines from this nice state of ours.
In California brings you prime Golden State tales and commentary from throughout the USA TODAY Community and past. Get it free, straight to your inbox.
Seeing as the way it’s Good Friday, let’s begin this off with just a little excellent news. Drum roll …
California to permit indoor gatherings as virus circumstances plummet
Starting April 15, the Golden State will permit indoor concert events, theater performances and different personal gatherings as the speed of individuals testing constructive for the coronavirus within the state has dropped considerably.
“Every part is shifting within the right path,” mentioned Dr. Tomás Aragón, the state’s public well being officer and director of the California Division of Public Well being.
The brand new guidelines apply to indoor seated venues, together with theaters, sports activities stadiums and different occasion venues in addition to conferences, receptions and conferences, mentioned Dee Dee Myers, senior advisor to the governor and director of the governor’s Workplace of Enterprise and Financial Improvement.
Entry can be granted on the situation that attendees can present a vaccination card or a unfavourable take a look at consequence within the earlier 72 hours, Aragón mentioned.
Vaccinated “sections” can be allowed with out social distancing however masks will nonetheless be required, officers mentioned. The state will work with completely different venues to assist decide how this may be carried out safely, Myers added.
The method was constructed based mostly on Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention tips just lately launched for indoor gatherings, Aragón mentioned.
This simply in from the San Francisco Chronicle: “California is getting ready to retire its color-coded tiered reopening plan as vaccination charges enhance and coronavirus circumstances proceed to drop, state officers mentioned Friday, as a number of Bay Space counties ready to maneuver right into a much less restrictive tier subsequent week.”
This Easter weekend, proceed training COVID-19 security measures, officers urge

To not rain in your Easter parade, however officers in Tulare County and throughout the state are advising you to stay diligent in sustaining COVID-19 security practices whereas having fun with the vacation.
“Particular occasions and holidays are vital,” Tulare County Public Well being Officer Dr. Karen Haught mentioned. “We perceive the significance of sustaining some sort of connection as we work our approach again to normalcy. Nevertheless, we strongly encourage residents to proceed COVID-19 security measures, even if you’re vaccinated as a result of COVID-19 stays a well being danger.”
Regardless of the extra sturdy availability of vaccinations and the county’s emergence from essentially the most widespread tier of COVID-19 unfold, it stays essential that every one residents proceed to take care of security precautions to stop the unfold of the illness, together with masking and social distancing till vaccinations are extensively distributed. Residents should all the time put on a face masks or masking whereas in environments the place bodily distancing isn’t attainable and whereas in public settings.
As well as, everybody is inspired to ceaselessly wash their arms with cleaning soap and water for at the very least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer, often disinfect high-touch surfaces, and keep residence if you’re sick or instructed to isolate/quarantine by a medical or public well being skilled.
Planning to journey over the vacation weekend? On Friday, the CDC up to date its COVID-19 journey steerage. Study extra right here.
Chihuahua survives after being left in sizzling automotive with frozen burritos, ice cream

A Chihuahua is recovering after being left inside a sizzling automotive in Palm Desert Thursday.
In keeping with KTLA5, the 3-year-old canine (not pictured above) was found in a black Escalade within the parking zone of The Residing Desert Zoo and Gardens. The temperature contained in the SUV was measured at 104 levels.
Contained in the canine’s crate, veterinarian employees found two frozen burritos and 5 wrapped drumstick-shaped ice cream cones.
Animal Providers Director Julie Financial institution mentioned she will be able to “admire the ingenuity of utilizing frozen gadgets” within the automotive as an try to preserve the canine cool, however nonetheless advises towards such practices and leaving pets in sizzling vehicles.
Officers mentioned the Chihuahua was panting, however wasn’t overheated. He was taken to an area animal shelter. The canine’s guardian can be cited for leaving an animal unattended in a automobile.
California sees one other drought 4 years after final one

All hopes for a moist “March miracle” within the Golden State didn’t materialize, and a dousing of April showers might as nicely be a mirage at this level.
The state seems to be within the midst of one other drought only some years after a punishing five-year dry spell dried up rural wells, killed endangered salmon, idled farm fields and helped gasoline essentially the most lethal and harmful wildfires in trendy state historical past.
A lot of California’s water comes from mountain snow within the Sierra Nevada that melts in the course of the spring and summer time and feeds rivers and streams that in flip fill reservoirs. The Sierra snowpack historically holds its peak water content material on April 1 and the state will take a survey Thursday to find out the extent. Final month, a survey confirmed simply 60% of the common.
4 years in the past, when then-Gov. Jerry Brown formally declared an finish to a statewide drought emergency, he mentioned conservation ought to proceed, warning “the following drought may very well be across the nook.”
Chew-sized information bits, completely seasoned

- Can somebody be sure that Taylor Swift and Kanye West get this memo? The California Supreme Court docket has dominated that it’s unlawful to file a mobile phone dialog with out the consent of each individual on the decision. The San Francisco Chronicle experiences that within the case of Smith vs. LoanMe, the state’s highest court docket unanimously disagreed with a December 2019 ruling that interpreted the no-recording-calls-without-permission regulation as making use of solely to third-parties (i.e., eavesdroppers). The court docket dominated Thursday that clandestine recordings of cellphone calls are unlawful with out permission. Interval.
- Watch out for scams throughout tax season. Have you ever finished your taxes? Or are you, like me, ready till the final attainable minute within the hopes that an enchanted tax gnome will seem and do it for you? Regardless, our associates at The Every day Unbiased have some recommendation on learn how to keep away from getting scammed throughout tax season. One tip: The IRS by no means initiates contact with taxpayers by e mail, textual content messages or social media to request private or monetary data.
- Artwork for artwork’s sake: In what police are saying was not a “political” transfer, three 20-something males have been arrested Friday for hanging the picture of a cow over one of many letters of the Hollywood signal. The Los Angeles Occasions experiences that the perps have been caught on surveillance cameras and can be booked for misdemeanor trespassing. Officers on the scene inquired concerning the significance of the cow picture, and the three alleged trespassers mentioned there was none.
In California is a roundup of reports from throughout USA At this time community newsrooms. Additionally contributing: Los Angeles Occasions, San Francisco Chronicle. We’ll be again in your inbox Monday with the most recent headlines.
Because the philanthropy and particular sections editor at The Desert Solar, Winston Gieseke writes about nonprofits, fundraising and individuals who give again within the Coachella Valley. Attain him at [email protected].